Metal Mouth Message Board

I went in for my pre-op with my surgeon on Friday last. The day before, I'd had a phone pre-op with anesthesiology (they asked about my current meds and family history, etc.). I brought my grandparents and my husband to the pre-op for support, and I had a list of questions as long as my arm, of course. She showed us the model of my teeth and jaw with the splint in some cool-looking metal contraption, with the lower jaw advanced. She also did a quick demo of the surgery (BSSO and genio) with a skull model. See photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nullalux/tags/preop/.

My surgeon confirmed that I'll only have to stay in the hospital for two days, if all goes as planned. In particular, she thought the hospital would have trouble providing a vegan liquid diet, and told us to bring our own food and to go home as soon as possible. The procedure itself will probably take about four hours, longer than we'd thought, meaning recovery will go a bit more slowly, so I'm definitely planning on three weeks off work (I work with children, so it's very active). I will have a catheter (sigh), but it should be both inserted and removed while I'm unconscious, so that's something. I may or may not have the splint removed before I wake up, depending on how the surgery goes. Likewise wiring my jaws closed; she'll decide during surgery. I take regular daily meds (five pills), and she told me to check with the pharmacist to see if they could be crushed. If so, I'll try adding them to mango nectar in a syringe (as I read about elsewhere on this board). If not, I have no idea what to do about that. I asked about pain meds, and she said she would give me codeine or hydrocodone if I needed it. I'm a little worried about this, since it seems many folks get morphine or at least percocet or the like. So I'm prepared to be a squeaky wheel during recovery if I'm in too much pain. She also said that she wouldn't give me anti-nausea meds unless I start vomiting, which seems a little late to me, but hopefully it won't be an issue.

The bone graft for the genio will be synthetic (made from coral). This is cool, because I wasn't too keen on donating my own or using a bovine or cadaver graft. The surgeon will be going through my cheeks (near the jaw line, about 2-3 stitches each) to affix three tiny screws on each side, but the rest of the incisions will be intra-oral (inside my mouth). There'll be some physical therapy exercises afterwards, both to lengthen my jaw muscles and to prevent any intra-oral scar tissue from getting in my way. I'll be arriving at the hospital at 6:30A, with surgery scheduled for 8:30A. I should be out of the OR and into PACU by 1P. I received various instructions about avoiding aspirin or ibuprofen, not eating after midnight and not drinking water after 5:30A, etc. I also got a list of prohibitions during recovery, like lifting more than 10 lbs. for 4 weeks, standing in the shower, washing my own hair (I suppose this is about lifting my arms over my head?), sleeping flat/on my side, etc. After the pre-op, I went to the lab for a blood panel and urine pregnancy test she requested, and all results came back fine. My maxillofacial surgical team seems competent, which bodes well, since my head is, you know, where I keep all my stuff.

I go under the knife in six days, and I'm getting so many packages from my Amazon.com list of surgery resources that I feel like it's my birthday! (Well, sort of. If my birthday present were getting my skull sawed open. Um.) Here's a link to the Amazon list I made, since it might help others preparing for surgery: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishl ... d&x=9&y=11.

My Amazon list:
-Preparing for Surgery: Guided Imagery Exercises for Relaxation and Accelerated Healing CD (I've been listening to this every evening. I'm finding it quite helpful, although I had to laugh when, at one point in the initial relaxation exercise, the narrator beseeches the listener to "notice the intelligence in your feet.")
-Lymphatic Drainage Massage DVD (supposed to reduce swelling after surgery)
-Hermell Dual Position Comfort Bed Wedge Pillow
-Petite Core Orthopedic Support Pillow
-Dry-Erase Whiteboard, 11x17 w/ marker
-Iso-Rich Vegetarian Soy Protein Powder
-Calcium Citrate Powder
-Duro-Med Shower Tub Stool
-Extra Gentle Soft Tip Spoons
-Neosporin Lip Treatment

Can you believe my friends bought the entire list for me when I posted a link on my blog? My grandparents also loaded up a Jamba Juice card with smoothie goodness, and they're loaning me a humidifier. I really appreciate their support, and I'm confident that the surgery will go smoothly. (Actually, I'm alternating between confident and abjectly terrified.) I also picked up a couple of Zip-N-Squeeze kits and their ice/heat jaw wrap, sippy cups (w/ removable valve), bulb aspirator, and liquid Tylenol. I still need to get an infant toothbrush, liquid decongestant, and lots of appropriate food for recovery. (All of a sudden, my braces don't seem so bad! I'm eating more than I have in months.) I'm planning on picking up broth, pureed soups (like butternut squash), soy/nut milks, frozen fruit for smoothies, potatoes for mashing and thinning, soy yogurt, juice, hot cereals, silken tofu, puddings, perhaps some ice cream for shakes... Am I forgetting anything?

My blog is here: http://chalepa-ta-kala.livejournal.com/, and most posts about the surgery can be found here: http://chalepa-ta-kala.livejournal.com/tag/jaw.

Wow, you seem more prepared than I was. The only addition to your food I can think of is baby food. Mainly the fruits, I found they had lots of flavor! Good luck to you and make sure to let us know how you are from the other side! Take care and remember to eat an awesome last meal

Sounds like your all set, nullalux!

A bone graft made from coral! Fastinating! The lymphatic drainage DVD sounds interesting, too. I think I might try that post op. I have a gift certificate to a spa so I might try it---we will have to compare notes!

Good luck nellalux.

It's been my experience that most medicines can be found in liquid form, and even some over-the-counter drugs, but you need to ask at the pharmacy because they keep them with their drug inventory. Have you checked with your pharmacist? I take a liquid iron supplement as well as liquid vitamins and I wouldn't have known about the liquid if I hadn't asked the pharmacist. All of my drugs post-op will need to be in liquid form; my pharmacist asked me give him a few days notice so he can be sure to stock enough for my needs.

The soft tip spoons look interesting, let me know how they work out.

kaycee

Good luck im sure your be fine, your certainly well prepared

I wasnt told to avoid standing whilst showering, or washing my hair. Tho i did wait a few days before washing my hair as i found i felt dizzy easily. Have to say tho after the 1st shower i felt much better mentally.

Painkiller wise, i had morphine the 1st night, after a reaction to other painkillers, i was then switched to paracetamol (not very strong) on the 2nd day, then someone tried me on codeine and thats all i had after that.

I didnt even get the option of liquid painkillers and all my tablets were pill form form day one, kinda squeezed in the holes! Tho i wasnt wired.

Good luck.

Thanks Meryaten for the paracetemol, i was too lazy to find the US equivalent!

I can't believe I go in for the surgery tomorrow morning! I treated myself to a pedicure today (I may look like something the cat dragged in for the next month or so, but my toes will be pretty!).

On my last drug store run, I picked up the infant toothbrush (I chose a duckie motif--how cool is that?), some liquid decongestant, and a tube of arnica cream for bruising. Adding that to my supplies from Amazon and elsewhere, here's my collection:



Note that the wedge pillow promises to provide "cloud-like comfort." Woo hoo!

We also raided Whole Foods to the tune of almost $300 in blendable goodness.



The brands Imagine and Pacific Natural Foods have a whole line of pureed soups in cartons. We picked out Sweet Pea, Creamy Broccoli, Sweet Potato, Acorn Squash and Mango, Creamy Sweet Corn, Potato Leek, Butternut Squash, Cashew Carrot, and Roasted Carrot, as well as lots of their Veggie and No-Chicken Broth. I got some chunkier canned soups for blending, fruit nectars for mixing with my (unrelated) meds, soy and nut milks, pudding, yogurt, frozen fruit for smoothies, couscous, grits, rice, ice cream for shakes, winter squash and sweet potatoes/potatoes for mashing, coconut milk, avocados, and applesauce. All vegan, too.

We have various powdered supplements for smoothies:


Read about my 'last meal' at the marvelous Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco here: http://chalepa-ta-kala.livejournal.com/tag/jaw. More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nullalux/t ... llofacial/.

I'm all packed for the hospital. Hope I haven't forgotten anything.

See you on the flip side!

I thought my fingernails couldn't be painted, but that my tootsies were okay. Eep.

Hey Good luck for tomorrow-still cant believe how well prepared you are lol!

Have to agree with meryaten tho, whiteboard wise my surgeon REALLY frowns on them, and they had me talking as soon as i woke up from op, mostly whinging on my part looking back! By the time i was taken to high dependancy i was able to talk relatively well to mum and boyfriend anyway.

Also sorry to be the bearer of bad news (and bear in mind im in the UK so it may be diferrent), but when i went in for my 2nd op they insisted i take my toe nail varnish off too, as i thought the same as you, that toes may ok. Hope im wrong, but i know from experiance that emotions may be running high tomorrow, so best your warned.

Good luck.

No nail polish usually, FYI Hopefully they'll let your toesies in!!!

BTW, i ate a ton of those Pacific Naturals soups too post-op - I added brown sugar to the Acorn and Butternut Squash varieties, they were too, uh, savory for me that first week[. Dunno if this is normal or because I couldn't breath through nose and had somewhat less than normal breathing

GOOD LUCK TOMORROW.. er.. today.. I'm a lil' late to the party.

Oops! I thought your date was tomorrow, too!

I loved those Pacific Natural soups, too! Still eating them---corn chower and portabella are my favorites. Also, LOVED mango and carrot juice-whodathunk it? I was given strawberry flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast in the hosptial and it was surprisingly good!

I never used my dry erase, either, but might be nice to have just in case....

If they do remove your toe polish, , it might be a nice way to pamper yourself post-op to schedule another pedicure as soon as you're up to it! Or maybe a friend would be happy to do that for you until you're out and about.

Good idea of kaycee's about asking your pharamacist for liquid form of meds. I was not tightly banded, so I could sneak a pill in. Also, thanks to the cleverness of kaycee, my OS is now making it his protocol to write prescriptions for his patients the day before their surgery. He said no one had ever asked him before, but that it made perfect sense. Do you want me to ask if they are hiring, kaycee?

Also, nullalux, I keep an extra Krups coffee grinder which I dedicate to grinding pills. Just make sure its clean and dry and don't grind too long. You can also add a little flaxseen or something to give it a bit of moisture as needed. The magic bullet would probably work as well.

Sending all my best wishes and looking forward to hearing from you from the other side!

Nullalux,

I hope you're doing well and can let us know how everything went.

I just LOVED the pictures of your food! Lots of good ideas there. There was a sale on Boost so I bought a few 6-packs to use as the base for some smoothies. I was thinking that if I couldn't get much down, at least what I did ingest would be full of vitamins. I have also been freezing fruit in single portions for said smoothies.

It would be a tough race between you and Andantae for the "Most Ready" award!

kaycee

Meryaten - I'm trying to care of those small tasks whilst I still have my wits about me. (I love it when you use that word "whist".) The only thing is that whenever I buy bananas, my kids eat them before they make it to the freezer! My next task is soup.

Andantae - Thanks, but I think the commute might be a little long...

Nullalux - How are you faring? Give us an update when you feel up to it.

kaycee

Nullalux? How are you? Post a couple words when you can!

nullalex i hope you are doing okay! post when yu can, would love to hear an update.

My mom just actually bought a magic bullet and its prety amazing what it can do.
we generally freeze some of our fruit to make smoothies and stuff! its maes for an amazing smoothie indeed!!!
wow nullalex you seemed like you were very well prepared! give an update when you can!!